The present invention relates to devices for detecting the presence of micro-organisms in a sample, and particularly to devices for transfering a portion of the sample to a culture medium in order to detect the presence and extent of microbial contamination thereof.
A present method for detecting the presence and extent of microbial contamination of liquids, for example in a urine sample, is by the use of a paddle or dipslide which contains a solid medium on one or both sides. The paddle or dip slide is dipped into the liquid to be sampled, and then is removed, and incubated for microbial growth.
One of the major drawbacks of this method is that individual colonies can only be obtained within a very narrow range of microbial concentrations. Obtaining individual colonies is essential for determining the general identity of each contaminating species, whether there is one or more types of contaminating bacteria. When commercial dipslides and paddles are used for detecting micro-organisms in urine samples, for example, positive urine cultures frequently yield confluent growth, which is difficult to observe, study and transfer for further investigation.